Gordon Brown has said he looks forward to working with Barack Obama and said he had run "an inspirational campaign". There have been messages of congratulations on similar lines from governments around the world. Mike Wooldridge reports:

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Among the reaction from Europe, President Sarkozy said the American people had chosen "change, openness and optimism". And the European Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, said "we need a new deal for a new world".

Iraq's foreign minister was quick to tell Mr Obama that there was "a great deal at stake" in Iraq and he did not foresee a quick US disengagement, while President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan said he hoped the election would bring peace, life and prosperity to his country.

Managing such expectations abroad, as well as at home, will clearly be one of Mr Obama's biggest challenges.

Mike Wooldridge, BBC

Listen to the words

a "Mandela moment"
this is a reference to the time when Nelson Mandela became the first black post-apartheid President of South Africa

few specific clues
not much detailed explanation

work its way through on to
reach, make felt and bring results on

unilateralism
when a person, organisation or, as here, a country takes decisions without consulting or listening to others

a new dawn of
a new, fresh approach to; another way of asserting

coupled
coming together

tear this world down
destroy the world (literally, if you tear down a building, you demolish or dismantle it)

was quick to tell
told immediately/without delay

a great deal at stake
a lot at risk of being lost

US disengagement
end of US presence/involvement (in Iraq)

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